His alleged victims are facing a miserable Christmas Day with their money for presents gone.

There was a handwritten note on the village pub he ran yesterday. It said: “Closed until further notice.”

The community has been rallying round and neighbours raised more than £9,000 to help in 24 hours.

Among those Levesconte is suspected of abandoning are his live-in partner Jan Handsley and his friend Chris Bolter, who was in joint control of the Christmas savings club.

Levesconte had run the Royal Oak in the village of Shrewton, near Salisbury, Wilts, since 2002.

His car has been found at Portsmouth harbour and police have confirmed he bought a ticket for a ferry to Saint-Malo, France. Mr Bolter, 57, would collect the savings club cash each Friday before handing it to Levesconte, who was meant to put it in his safe at the pub before taking it to the bank.

The money from the club was to be paid out to families on Friday. But by then Levesconte had disappeared.

Mr Bolter said: “On a usual week there would be something between about £400 and £700 paid in and it runs over 47 or 48 weeks in the year.

“The most any individual had was £2,400. Two people had that.

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The pub: The Royal Oak Pub in Shrewton

“I’ve spoken to quite a few members of the club since Malcolm disappeared. They’re upset and p****d off, for want of a better word, especially the ones with young kids.

“They saved so that they could buy Christmas presents. It’s terrible. The first I knew about it was when Jan rang me on Monday morning.

“She was in tears. She said, ‘Malcolm’s gone and he’s done a flit with the money.’

“I felt sick when she told me. It was me who rang police to report it. Jan was really upset. She seemed like she was in shock more than anything.

“It’s not nice to have to tell people their money is gone and they ain’t gonna get it back. As the landlord Malcolm would usually get about £300 out of it as each Christmas he was paid £5 for each person in the fund.

“Well he got £30,000 out of it this year. That’s how much was in there.

“I was meant to be going to the bank with him to withdraw all the money on Thursday to pay everyone on Friday.

“It was all arranged. Obviously that triggered something in him.

“We would both have needed to sign at the bank to withdraw any money. Malcolm was supposed to have taken it from his safe and pay it in.

“I know now he hadn’t paid any of the cash into the bank all year.

“I’ve been doing it for 15 to 20 years, long before Malcolm took over at the pub. I’d never had any problems.

“The last time I saw him was on the Sunday afternoon when I went into the pub to watch the Man City v Man United game.

“He seemed completely normal and left at about 5pm. A couple of people who were still there have told me he said to them, ‘Cheerio, it’s been nice knowing you.’ Then he walked out.

“Apparently there was a letter left at the Oak. He said in it he was going to take the boat but he wouldn’t complete the journey.

“It seems unlikely to me he would have killed himself. I think he’s still alive. He’s a very clever man. The police are trying to work out if he got off at the other end. He could have been with someone else on the boat and hid in the back of their car when they drove off.

“He was a real womaniser. It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s with another woman now and that’s why he’s gone.

“I think he’ll be in Portugal. He used to own a furniture-making business there and his parents lived out there.

“He used to go on holiday to Portugal with his ex-partner Brenda. She left a long time ago when she found out he was knocking off another woman.

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Victims: The Roses

“They had a row about it and she moved away and never came back. The way I feel about him is unprintable.

“He’s a coward so I don’t think he’ll ever come back here. I think there might be one or two people who might want to do him a lot of harm.

“The worst bit is he knew everyone in the club and how much it will affect them. He got on well with everyone in it.

“It’s a nice friendly pub. It’s a community pub. It always has been. It’s a family pub but there is no way it was making money. Malcolm never seemed to worry about money, though.

“I know now that was because he was bloody taking ours. We always thought he was fairly wealthy. His car wasn’t anything special but he had a personalised number plate on it M100 LEV.

“I presume it cost him a fair bit. I’d go into the pub most nights and they’d say they’d only had one or two people in.

“Before Malcolm came here he was a member of the Freemasons in the Reading area. Apparently he was quite high up.

“Here he just worked a lot and he hadn’t been on a holiday for years. All he really did was go out once or twice a week with Jan for something to eat.

“On the surface he was kind-hearted. If he could help anyone he would.

“It’s a real shock because everyone trusted Malcolm. He never gave anyone reason not to trust him.

“I’ve been involved with the fund for 20 years but I’m not going to carry on now. I don’t want anything else like this to happen again.”

Police said: “We are aware that Mr Levesconte booked tickets and boarded a ferry at Portsmouth that evening bound for Saint-Malo in France.

“Officers are treating this as a criminal investigation but also as a missing person inquiry. Anybody concerned about money they paid into the thrift club should contact the Royal Oak. Their details will be recorded and passed to the police.”

A French police spokesman said: “British officers made enquiries in the region after Mr Levesconte took a ferry to Saint-Malo. Thousands of people arrive each day. It is possible he has moved on and could be in another country.”

Ms Handsley, who has three sons from a previous relationship, found out Levesconte had left her from a scrawled note he left at the Royal Oak.

There are reports she is “in bits” and “scared” after receiving calls from villagers angry after being allegedly ripped off.

Detectives are probing the possibility Levesconte was involved with another woman. He also told former friends he dreamt of retiring to Portugal.

'My Josh has nothing now'

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Tears: Widow Natasha with Josh lost £500 cash

Little Josh Dunford, 11, has been looking forward to Christmas for months. He begged his mother for an iPad and she said yes.

Now he faces the heartbreaking prospect of waking up on the big day with nothing.

Natasha, 36, fought back tears as she told how she cannot afford to buy him the gift she was happy to promise.

The single mum, whose husband Alan died of a heart condition aged 47 five years ago, believes the £500 she saved for his present has gone.

She put it in a savings club with pub landlord Malcolm Levesconte, who vanished at the same time as the money.

Part-time office worker Natasha, from Amesbury, Wilts, said: "Josh has been looking forward to it for months.

"All he's kept saying is, 'Mum, all I want for Christmas is an iPad so I can play the games on it.' "Up until December last year I worked at the Royal Oak for Malcolm for more than eight years. That's what hurts the most. I trusted him. I'm hurt and disappointed. I think he's a selfish bastard. I never thought he was capable of something like this.

"Josh was really shocked too.

He has known Malcolm all his life.

"But he has got through his dad passing away and he's more understanding. I put my money into the club so I would definitely have money for Christmas presents. We would normally go to see family in Wales for Christmas but I can't afford to travel now.

The Roses "It'll just be me and Josh this year. We might have to just get a pizza. It has shattered my trust in people. I don't think I'll ever be able to trust anyone ever again." Geraldine and John Rose are another family who are hurt and furious after losing almost £1,000 in the savings club.

Levesconte's former friend Chris Bolter said: "The youngest victims are toddlers and little kids of about two, three, four and five.

"I wouldn't mind so much if it had just involved grown adults but he has basically taken money from kids. They're the ones who are going to suffer.

"I feel so sorry for those with kids, especially the ones who haven't got much money.

"There were plenty of mums and dads who set up their account for their children so that they could afford to buy them Christmas presents.